


Reprieve

by attimesiwrite, Chub n Tux (attimesiwrite)



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Oral Sex, Romance, Seduction, Sexual Tension, Touch-Starved, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-01-08 07:24:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21232007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attimesiwrite/pseuds/attimesiwrite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/attimesiwrite/pseuds/Chub%20n%20Tux
Summary: Sofia has experienced difficulty adjusting to her new life as identity thief of Captain Alex Hawthorne, so she goes to seek help from the foul-mouthed Vicar she picked up in Edgewater.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Outer Worlds is amazing. Vicar Max is a dilf. I haven't written anything in ages but I just couldn't help myself. I hope to continue this and make it into a three-part thing.

During her days on Earth, Sofia didn’t put much snuff into philosophy. Reasons for existence, religion, spirituality, mysticism weren’t really her things. Life existed, existence existed, and that was as far as she could possibly will herself to take it. She had other things to worry about. School and getting in her intern hours at the lab were her main priority to worry about. Next in line was her family. Somewhere near the bottom was her boyfriend. At the very rock bottom was worrying about why all of these worries existed.

No, no, she wasn’t suited with the patience or the fortitude to wonder about those sorts of things. Maybe that’s why she was accepted as a potential founding colonist for Halcyon. Maybe that’s why she was the only colonist to survive reanimating so far. Maybe that’s why she made it out of Edgewater (mostly) unscathed.

She didn’t know, though, and was quite pleased with the notion of never knowing.

However, she found herself in a peculiar situation now. Things weighed on simply Sofia. Attempting to Captain a ship under the identity of a man she accidentally killed, risking her life on a daily basis as she traveled through fucking space to fight and run errands, trying to beat the clock on ensuring her family could come out of cryo without dying. These weighed on her. They didn’t crush her – but she felt them ever-present on her shoulders.

Now, more than ever, Sofia yearns for some understanding. A cosmic reason for all that’s happening around her. An invisible rope to follow through this series of events. An excuse to not feel completely and utterly hopeless.

So she wanders. She wanders around the nooks and crannies of her ship during the night cycle – lost in thought and hopeful for conversation. Most of her crew have adjusted to the day and night cycle very well, including her. Hence her body’s predisposition for not fucking sleeping at night due to stress and their convenient disappearance to do exactly what she can’t do.

The wandering, for as little as it does emotionally, piques her curiosity. There is one human crew member who stays up for nearly as long as she does. She passes by the quarters, doors shut, and no light was peeking out from the inside of all but one of them. The mysterious yet boisterous Vicar she picked up on Edgewater keeps his door slightly ajar, a dull light emanating from the inside.

It happens night cycle after night cycle, and she’s very tempted to peek in. She sees him writing and reading during the day cycle. Could he be so possibly dry and consumed by his personal quest for the unknown that he still does it at night instead of sleeping? Sofia doesn’t know.

She conjures some amusing imagery in her mind one singularly bad night when sleep evaded her. She walks quietly by the lit quarters. Images of the prim and proper Vicar covertly reading awful corporate serials under the night light. The Vicar writing some of the awful corporate serials under night light. The Vicar writing something or another to his mother. The Vicar reading a love letter.

Sofia stops as if lead weights were dropped from her hips and slammed into her feet. Something strange happened, then. For the first time since coming from her long stasis, Sofia felt arousal. It washed over her – a foreign feeling that settled deep in her belly and burned. The hairs on the back of her neck rose considerably, and a chill ran down her spine.

Sofia wasn’t blind. Vicar Max was a good-looking man. Clean and well put-together. Accomplished and wise. Competent and passionate. She wasn’t blind – she saw it all. She was just unable to feel.

She didn’t even need imagery. Simply thinking of the handsome Vicar as a sexual being for a moment unleashed a barrage of feelings she hadn’t had since before she boarded the Hope. Overwhelmed, Sofia took a deep breath and willed herself to leave. Willed herself to turn around and find her quarters. Willed herself to do anything other than what her body was telling her to do.

Sofia was a young woman who took pride in making smart, calculated, reasonable decisions. Taking three steps backward wasn’t smart. Turning to the slightly ajar door wasn’t calculated. Wrapping her knuckles against the cold metal wasn’t fucking reasonable. In those moments after the sounds her knuckles made echoed into the aether made her feel like an animal. She imagined herself feral, out of control, and wild — a slave to her base instincts. The humiliation made her face burn.

There was movement on the other side of the door, and before she could fully register what was happening, she was face to face with the vicar. He looked the same as he did a mere four hours earlier when he was eating dinner in the mess hall. Sofia noticed the sprinkling of grey on his temples. Her heart pounded.

“Captain.” He sounded pleasant, but not surprised. “Do you need anything?”

Sofia bit her tongue and forced a small smile, peeking down at the bronze clasps on his vestments. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look up.

“I was wondering if you would be willing to – to talk for a bit.” The words sounded off. As if she took sound clips of herself a pieced them together awkwardly. The Vicar’s expression quickly turned from mildly amused to warm and welcoming.

“Of course. Please come in.” He moved aside. Sofia tried to will herself to leave to deny the offer. But a heavy weight settled on her as she took a step into his quarters, nary a few inches away from touching him. The Vicar closed the door and maneuvered around her. Sofia noticed woefully that he was particularly mindful not to touch her at all. In a flash Sofia was sitting in the chair across from him at his small table. He spoke quietly, “I did offer to counsel as one of my services. Whatever you wish to speak about, I’m here to listen.”

Sofia felt a pregnant silence fall between them. The room felt like it was slowly closing in on her. She cleared her throat, willing the uneasiness away. “Thank you. I usually wouldn’t do something like this… I – I would never actually do something like this.”

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping. I have… a lot to think about and process during the day, and I can’t seem to stop… stop my brain… I can’t sleep. I would really like to sleep, but I’m not interested in taking anything right now. I still feel like I’m in a fragile state, and I don’t want to risk killing myself because I took too many of Auntie Cleo’s downers, you know?” She ends her quick spiel with a pathetic laugh. He still doesn’t respond – just stares at her warmly. Her heart flutters and her eyes quickly catch his lips before she pulls her gaze away back up to his eyes. They keep eye contact for longer than they need to. Sofia feels her confidence grow slightly.

“What do you do in here at night?” She asks quietly. She realizes quickly how the question sounds, so she backtracks as soon as the last word falls into the room. “I mean – I walk by here at night. That’s what I do to try to clear my mind I walk around the ship, you know? I walk by here, and I see your light on, and your door open just a little.” She uses her fingers to show him an estimate of how ajar his door is. She feels stupid and juvenile after doing it.

He doesn’t seem to mind much. He smiles a little and raises his brows and leans back in the cool way that he usually does things. She squirms in her seat a little and smiles back. “I read, mostly. I must admit, Captain, I’ve been curious about why you walk around her at night. Almost like your on patrol. You do it to clear your mind?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t work very well. Nothing seems to work.” She admits suddenly.

“What is it that plagues your mind?”

She rattles them off one by one – revealing her concern for her family and about her life on Earth before she was placed on the Hope. She mentions feeling lost in time. Confused, upset that the colony is worse than Earth was when she left. She tells him she misses her life before. The safety and easiness of it all. She reveals more to him than she’s revealed to anyone since waking up. She feels naked. She feels shaky. She feels excited.

She doesn’t know how long she talks. He’s supportive, and a comforting presence – asking questions when appropriate and offering short and sweet takes on things that she describes. It’s nice. The weight lifts from her shoulders. But as she speaks she noticed another weight settle heavily in her gut.

She squirms and plays with her hair and taps her fingertips on the table. He unwittingly offers her something very nice to look at. His strong jaw (that she wants to run her tongue up), the tendons in his neck (that she has a strange desire to sink her teeth into), his slightly furrowed brow (she imagines his brow creased heavily as he covered her body with his). If she were slightly more conspiratorial, she would think of him as sent from hell itself to undo her.

She’s never been so undone before. She chews on her lip after the last words die out in the room. Her face is positively on fire. There is one more thing that eats at her. A gnawing curiosity that’s been in the back of her mind, but set off this sequence of events tonight. She doesn’t need to ask it, a voice of reasons speaks within her. It’s not only unprofessional but weird. Then again, another voice starts (light and manic), sitting and imagining a heated encounter with the man right in front of him was pretty unprofessional and weird.

_What’s stopping you now?_

The room is silent, but war rages inside of her.

“I’m honored that you’ve shared all of this information with me. I understand that your current situation is… jarring.” He pauses, eyes boring deep into her. “You’ve mentioned walking around the ship to clear your thoughts. It isn’t working – correct?”

“Correct.”

“Have you any other coping mechanisms… besides drugs?”

Sofia stops and thinks. Back on Earth, she did. “I had hobbies and friends on Earth. They weren’t so many coping mechanisms, but they helped… I exercised back then. I can’t really afford to burn any more calories than I do in a day now so exercising is out of the questions. I’ve tried meditating, but the thoughts just don’t stop.” Sofia stopped, trying to recall anything else she’s tried that isn’t booze.

The Vicar hums thoughtfully, “is there anything else?”

His words are low and keen. She looks up at him momentarily. She dares not read into it any more than she needs to, but he’s making it hard to think about anything other than him being on top of her…

She thinks briefly about what she will do after he inevitably rejects her. She sees herself hightailing it back to her quarters, unzipping the god-forsaken pants she has on and going to town – her mind set on the Vicar and this encounter. The thought is enticing and nice.

More than anything else, it makes her remember one of the best ways to help her sleep. Her mind flashes back to her later school days. There was nothing like a good orgasm to wind down before a big test. She remembers a particularly hot day – the setting sun shining in on her as she lay a mess in her bed – a fine sheen of sweat covering her. There was always a little shame behind it – but never enough to stop her from drifting off after. No worries – just bliss.

His voice snaps her out of her reminiscing.

“You look like you have something else on your mind.” He states with an air of purposeful curiosity. He’s playful – teasing – and for a moment, she feels hopeful.

Her eyes find him again, and she lets out a pathetic bark of sarcasm. “You don’t even want to know.”

“I might.” He counters quickly, leaning forward with his elbows on the table – large hands clasped in front of him now. She looks at them quickly before diverting her gaze once more.

Sofia sighs through her nose and steels herself. She can’t believe what she’s doing, but she mimics his actions – so drunk on arousal and hazy from sleep deprivation that she doesn’t even care.

_Nothing ventured, nothing gained._

“It’s more of a question.” The tremor in her voice betrays her budding confidence.

He quirks a brow, smirk still present.

She licks her lips and keeps her voice low, eyes never leaving his as the question leaves her lips. “Are men of the cloth allowed to partake in… worldly pleasures?”

His expression doesn’t change – but when he speaks, his voice takes on a new tone. Deeper, quieter, more personal. “No.”

Sofia feels her stomach sink for a moment – but he continues.

“The order I served while in Edgewater forbade it. To be fair, many could leave behind those acts. They are simply not needed. However, some do need it.” He takes a deep breath and looks down at her clasped hands. “The order said that it clouds the mind – destroys your altruism and willingness to follow the Plan. Interestingly enough, my own collection of anecdotal evidence has proven the opposite to be true.”

Sofia rubs her thighs together, the discussion leaving her body in disarray. Vicar Max reaches forward and gently trails a single finger across the back of her hand. He traces the small tendons in her hand, following down each finger as he speaks. Sofia lets out a shaky breath. A touch has never made her feel like this before.

“People who appreciate that release tend to go mad when they’re deprived of it. That’s when the altruism is destroyed. That’s when the Plan is lost.”

He pauses for a second and brings his eyes back to hers. The moment is thick and intense. He tests the waters, and wordlessly brings one of her hands into his. He is gentle, cautious as if she’s a wild animal that might take off. He turns her hand over in his larger ones and continues his ministrations. A thick, callused finger traces the inside of her palm and down her fingers to her fingertips. It climbs up her palm, and circles in the soft, sensitive skin of her wrist. She swallows thickly, the arousal pooling in between her leg as dizzying as she’s ever experienced it.

“The spirit is broken when something as natural as breathing air, drinking water, and consuming food are taken and kept away. We’re stripped down to our base instincts when those are taken. We become distressed at best and mad at worst.”

“Look at you right now,” his voice is just above a whisper. He squints and tilts his head as if examining her. Sofia blinks and swallows thickly again. “touch-starved and desperate. You’ve been wandering around this ship in a fog. This is what it does to you, Sofia.”

There’s a moment of silence. It’s comfortable. Sofia is bewildered, overwhelmed, nearly shaking. She licks her lips and takes a deep breath. She feels the heat build to a fever pitch.

“I digress. The order forbade such actions.” He recounts, bringing her hand up close to his face. “But I’m no longer under the command of the order, am I?” With that, he closes his eyes and plants a gentle kiss in Sofia’s palm.

She lets out a harsh breath through her nose. He opens his eyes and smiles against her skin.

“Are you willing to help me?” She sighs, blinking a few times to clear her head.

“Only if you’re certain that you want my help.” He keeps eye contact as he places another kiss on the inside of her wrist.

Sofia feels a rush of certainty overtake her. Her voice doesn’t tremble as she watches him kiss her wrist again. “I don’t think I’ve been more certain of anything in my life.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support, you guys.
> 
> Sorry for any errors. I'm sleep deprived and just got off of work. Hell yee.

Sofia can’t exactly remember what happened after her confirmation left her lips and before she was pressed up against the Vicar’s warm body. She thought hard as she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her face into the soft fabric of his vestments and inhaled. She remembers him standing and wrapping his large hands around her upper arms. She remembers him gently pulling her up to stand in front of him. She remembers him gently sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her close to his body. She remembers an unseemly mixture of a moan and gasp leaving her as her body pressed against his.

Here Sofia is, now. Her hands unclasp from behind his neck and slide down his shoulders and down his chest. She wants to look up but she can’t bring herself to. She’s never felt like this before – so vulnerable.

“What do you need?” He pries softly. His voice catches her attention in the silent room. Her vulnerability is forgotten for a moment and she peeks up. Her breath catches in her throat. She realizes then that he’s easily the most beautiful men she’d ever laid eyes on. Her vision rakes over nearly every detail on his face – his prominent brow, his gorgeous eyes, the stubble beginning to grow in on his jaw. Her vision lands on his lips, and she finds herself complete enraptured. She doesn’t say what she needs. She locks her eyes onto his for only a moment before she closes hers and raises herself up to press her lips to his.

He accepts her wordless answer with a soft exhale and returns her kiss with fervor. Her eyes close and she leans into him fully – her chest pressed fully against his own. His hands come to frame her face, pressing his lips with more pressure. Sofia prods his lips with her tongue and he immediately gives way. He dominates the kiss – and Sofia isn’t surprised. She moans as her tongue twists with his. He tastes like the empty cup of Rizzo’s wine that sits on his desk.

Sofia runs her hands down to his waist and holds tight, pressing her hips against his. She feels his hardening cock through his long coat. The movement elicits a grunt from the Vicar and Sofia moans. Max pulls his lips from hers and presses his forehead to hers. They’re both panting and gasping. Sofia notes the flush on his face – the way his eyes have darkened, and his expression has hardened.

“How far?” Max asks before sucking her full bottom lip into her mouth. Sofia thinks she hears the words but doesn’t quite process what he’s asking. She whimpers and sloppily swipes her tongue across his upper lip. He releases her lower lip.

“How far do you want to take this tonight?” He asks again, taking the time to clarify before planting a quick kiss on her lips again.

Sofia pants and presses her body into his fully. “I don’t know. Just please touch me.”

“I can do that.” He mutters against her lips with a smile. Sofia smiles back.

Max pulls away and Sofia whimpers pathetically. He grasps her wrists firmly and gently guides her to his rack. They stand next to it together, the backs of Sofia’s shins bumping against the side of the mattress. The Vicar stands half an arm’s length away and looks her up and down. Sofia’s face burns under the inspection.

Their eyes meet and Sofia shivers. Max takes his hands and places them on her torso, squeezing her thin waist lightly. He runs his hands down her clothed hips and presses his thumbs into the flesh. Sofia can’t help the gasp that leaves her. She sways, catching herself on the upper portion of the rack. Max smiles softly, inching closer and skirting his hands around the backs of her hips and plants them firmly over her ass. Sofia lets go of the rack and grasps onto his shoulders. He digs his fingers into the flesh of her backside – just roughly enough so she could feel it through the thick fabric of her pants. Sofia groans into his collarbone.

She thought she felt like an animal when she knocked on his door – but she’s never felt like such an animal as she arches her back to press into his insistent hands and runs her tongue up the exposed tendon of his neck. The Vicar groans and returns the favor, leaning down and biting down on the side of her neck.

Sofia is hot – so hot. Every article of clothing on her body feels like it’s scorching her skin. She hisses and pulls away from him as much as she can. “Hold on – I need to…” She starts as she switches their position. She pushes him until he’s seated on the edge of the bed. He looks up at her – gorgeous with his ruddy face and swollen lips. His pupils are so dilated that she forgets what color his eyes are.

Sofia gets lost in thought looking at him and leans down, kissing him quickly before standing back up. “I need to get these off. It’s driving me insane.”

“Be my guest.” He smirks and leans back, a hand working on the first few buttons of his overcoat. Sofia watches his hand work for a moment before getting to work. She quickly – maybe too quickly, as she stumbles a few times – works her boots and socks off. She stands back up and the Vicar is watching with a kind smile. She feels warm – very warm – but there’s another warmth that spreads through her. It starts in her chest and radiates down to her fingertips.

_He looks at her like he…_

_Nope. Nope. Not now, Sofia._

With confidence, she unzips her jacket and slips it off her shoulders. It gets tossed on the other side of the room. She quickly undoes her bun and lets her hair fall around her now exposed shoulders. Max’s smile disappears in a mild smirk and he tilts his head. He unbuttons a few more buttons.

She’s left in a ribbed tank top and her trousers. Max’s eyes are drawn to her breasts. She looks down at her own body. The top swoops down low on her breasts – exposing a fair amount of cleavage. The thin bra she wears underneath does nothing to hide her arousal – as her pert nipples stand tall against the fabric.

Sofia feels awfully brazen and brings her hands up to touch her breasts. Max heaves a sigh and shifts where he’s sitting. Deft fingers pluck at her nipples through the fabric and Sofia hums in pleasure. Max sits up and quickly unbuttons the rest of his overcoat, slipping it off of his shoulders and leaning back leisurely, his hand moving down to ease the tent that’s formed in his trousers.

Sofia bites her lips and moves her hands down to the hem of her tank top. She tugs on it for a moment before gaining the nerve to take it off. She throws it with the rest of the clothes and returns to his gaze. He’s watching her intently – like a rapt watches it’s prey. A shiver begins at the base of her spine and she makes quick work of her belt buckle and trousers. She wastes no time and slips them off – discarding them. She stands before him – nearly bare.

There’s a silence between them that’s expectant. Sofia takes a step closer to him. Max sits up and holds his hands out. Sofia takes them in her own and places them on her waist.

“You’re breathtaking.” Max sighs and leans forward, pressing his face against her stomach. He inhales and places an open-mouthed kiss against her flesh. Gooseflesh erupts over her skin and she chokes back a moan. “Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it. By the Law, I’ll do anything for you.” He kisses her stomach again and again, each time moving up until his nose brushed the underside of her bra.

“Keep doing what you’re doing.” Sofia gasps for air and reaches behind her body – quickly unclasping her bra. She eases It over her shoulders and down her arms – the fabric leaving her skin bare against the cold air of the ship. The bra falls to the floor and Max groans – a perfect sequence of events that forces a chuckle from Sofia.

Max pulls her body closer to his, and she stands in between his spread legs – his face nearly level with her breasts. Sofia looks down – noticing the small tent in his trousers has grown significantly. She’s tempted to fall to her knees and rip open his trousers. She bites her lip and presses her chest into his face.

Max buries his face in between her tits, groaning against the soft flesh. Sofia feels lightheaded as he takes his time enjoying her breasts. He lets his hands wander around her hips. They find her ass and squeeze again, cupping and pressing his fingers into her flesh. Meanwhile, he turns his face up and finds her face – watching as he moves his mouth to one nipple, sticks his tongue out and _licks._

Sofia whimpers in earnest and her knees almost buckle. It feels good – too good. Her panties are soaked through and she feels herself clench around nothing. She squeezes her thighs together, desperate for friction of any kind.

He takes the nipple into his mouth and closes his eyes, moaning as he sucks on the flesh. He sucks, licks, grazes the overly-sensitive flesh with his teeth. Sofia trembles and moans above him. Her hands fly to his hair and _holy shit it’s so soft_.

Sofia brings both of her hands to his hair and cards her fingers through the soft strands. Max moans and Sofia notices that one of his hands has left her ass. She peaks down and sees the Vicar stroking his cock through the thick fabric of his pants. Sofia’s eyes nearly roll into the back of her head at the sight. She clenches again.

Max releases her nipple with a pop and finds the other – working the sensitive flesh with his mouth. The hand he used to touch himself comes up and he squeezes the breast he just left – his fingers toying with the sensitive, red nipple.

“Max,” Sofia gasps and gently tugs on his hair. Max groans wantonly and grazes the nipple with his teeth particularly harshly. Sofia’s knees buckle and she falls into him – right on the brink of an orgasm. She pants – each pant painted with a delirious whimper. She trembles and pushes him away from her breasts gently.

Max releases her quickly – letting her rest against him.

Sofia sinks down, her knees on either side of his thighs, until his cock – behind fabric of his trousers – is pressed firmly against her pussy. In a daze, Sofia writhes against his cock to relieve the need for friction. It doesn’t take much until Max hisses and grabs her hips, stilling her. Sofia feels the intense hum of her near orgasm through her body.

Max lifts her up effortlessly and flips them on the mattress. Sofia is on her back, Max kneeling in between her legs. He kisses his way down her body and she trembles violently. He stops at the line of her panties and kisses, his tongue darting out to trace the hem against her flesh. He moves down – his breath fanning out over the wet spot that’s formed on her panties. Sofia holds her breath and her hand moves down to rest in his hair.

He pauses, his eyes trained on her face. His eyes have softened considerably and he reaches out to hold her unoccupied hand. Their fingers lace together and Sofia feels the sensation in her chest again. He smiles at her and she smiles back.

Without much more of a warning, the flat of his tongue is pressed firmly against her through the wet fabric of her panties. Sofia’s body convulses and her back arches involuntarily. She gasps – loudly – as his tongue makes contact with her most sensitive part. He is slow – licking her methodically. She makes an effort to not pull on his hair but squeeze his hand. He squeezes back, his eyes never leaving hers.

Sofia pulls her legs up and arches her back again. Max stops and sits up. He smirks and leans forward over her. They kiss and Sofia runs a hand down his chest. “You taste amazing.” He kisses her again, pressing his hard bulge against her.

“This is how you’re going to cum tonight – screaming my name with my head between your legs. Do you understand?” His voice is low, firm, and she’s melting beneath him. She nods frantically and twists her hips against his.

Max kisses her, let’s his tongue delve into her mouth one more time before working his way back down her body. He hooks his fingers under her panties and pulls them down her legs. He throws them with the rest of her clothes and turns to face her. He kisses her legs – from her calf to her thigh, until he gets to her inner thigh.

Sofia can feel the rush of blood in her ears and she braces for contact – unsure if she can handle his mouth directly on her. She nervously twists her hands in the sheets. He notices and he brings her hands where they were before – one buried in his hair and one laced with his. His eyes finally land on her pussy and she holds her breath. She’s never been this vulnerable to a man before.

“You’re perfect.” He breathes against her, his voice strained and raspy. “You’re absolutely fucking perfect.” His mouth lands on her pussy after the last sound leaves his mouth and she hears him positively moan. She’s speechless – soundless. Her mouth is open but only short breaths are leaving. It’s heavenly. Completely heavenly.

He squeezes her hand and she has just enough mind left to squeeze back.

“Max,” she cries as he begins to thrust his tongue as hard as he can into her canal. It makes an unseemly squelch in the quiet room and she feels filthy – completely filthy

_A Vicar is eating my pussy like a starving man._

His tongue leaves her canal and finds her clit. Sofia gasps and squeezes his hand and pulls his hair. He flicks his tongue against her clit, circles his tongue around her clit, gently sucks. Sofia’s thighs tremble violently and the hot embers in her womb burst into flames.

She vaguely notices the Vicar shift in his position – but his mouth doesn’t leave her at all. There’s a new movement on the bed and she lifts herself up to look. The Vicar’s ruddy face is buried in between her legs, his one hands firmly latched with hers. His other hand is down in between his legs, pumping furiously at his large cock.

Max’s eyes are closed and his hums of pleasure send shocks through her body and into her very being. She tries to lower her voice, but she can’t. Sofia can’t tear her eyes away from the sight and she squeezes his hand roughly. His eyes open and she feels_ it _building.

“Max,” she pants, “Max I’m gonna cum.”

His eyes lock onto hers and doubles down on her – his actions rougher and with more purpose. He knows what he’s doing, and she feels like she’s about to die from pleasure. Her thighs ache and tense. The hand buried in his hair pulls and then pushes him down on to her. His eyes flutter shut and he groans loudly into her pussy.

It’s all too much. His name leaves her lips in a delirious moan and stars explode in her vision. Her body, wound tight, releases violently. She quakes and her world shatters. If not for his hand – she feels like she would be blown out of the porthole and into the aether. She holds his hand tightly as she cums, her orgasm melding into the odd feeling she had earlier in her chest. She whimpers and pants, desperate to seek him out as her orgasm begins to taper off.

Max’s face is still buried in between her legs, but he’s not licking. His brow is furrowed and his breath is labored and heavy. His arms is working furiously to bring himself to release. Sofia pulls at him, desperate to help him. She wanted to feel his cock in her hands or her mouth or anywhere really. His eyes shoot open and he concedes, his hand still working his cock and he lifts himself up. Sofia arches her body and reaches for his cock with the hand that was buried in his hair. Her other hand still firmly holding his.

He lets her take over and she gasps, his cock like a hot iron rod beneath flesh. It’s thick and heavy – uncut. The noises she makes are wanton as she strokes him. He gasps and his hips buck a few times. Curiously, she lets her hand wander down to grab his large balls. A strangled moan leaves him.

She resumes stroking and she brings his other hand up to her mouth. She unlaces her fingers from his and places his index finger in her mouth, sucking and letting her tongue swirl around the tip. Max’s intense expression relaxes suddenly as his eyes drift shut. He leans forward and presses his body against hers, his cock trapped in her hand against her stomach. He ruts against her withdraws his fingers from her mouth. He catches her lips and his tongue delves into her mouth. He’s undone and Sofia feels hot jets of cum splash from her lower stomach to her breasts.

She shivers and her heart races again.

They both come down from their high slowly – mess of sweat and cum on the bed.

Neither of them cared.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On GOD we gon get Max some pussy bro (☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞
> 
> I do apologize if there are typos and stuff. My ~~big girl job~~ requires a lot of 'out of hours' work and I just don't have a lot of free time to edit this how I would like. Maybe one day I will.
> 
> Thank you for the comments, they fuel my MASSIVE ego. For real, though the support is thoroughly appreciated. I forgot how much I love to write. <3

The first time Max laid his eyes on Sofia, he knew he was in for trouble. The young woman didn’t carry an air of criminality or seediness about her. Oh no. She carried a bright smile, shiny curls, wide eyes with dimples and freckles to boot. Max thought she looked like she stepped out of a serial. Now, he was a Vicar – a man of the Law – well-practiced in temperance and self-restraint. He wasn’t perfect – but he tried and did pretty damn well with keeping away from temptation.

He made it a point to keep his professionalism when Parvati brought her to him the first time… to not let his gaze slide down to the stranger’s full lips and exposed neck. But he was simply a man – and a simple man he was when he let his gaze slide down her figure to her shapely ass as she walked out of the church.

That was that, though.

Max brushed off the encounter and thanked the Law for letting him lay eyes on such a beautiful woman in the flesh. He turned his focus elsewhere – back to his work and his mission. However, it didn’t stop thoughts of the stranger (Sofia, she introduced herself as) from invading his thoughts. It didn’t stop a vision of him peeling that awful suit off her and burying his face between her thick thighs until a scream left her full lips. He settled with accepting the thoughts as late-night fodder. After all, he would never see her again.

But he did see her again. And again. And again. And eventually he joined her crew.

Even the minute amount of decency he held onto dictated that he place those indecent thoughts on a shelf. She was a kind and trusting young woman and he offered to help – not to leer after her. Moreover, she hadn’t indicated any interest in him. Why would she? He was a Vicar. He was her crew member. He was at least 15 years older than her. He was a prick.

Max resigned himself to enjoying her company. They spent many days and nights getting to know each other on the ship and abroad. It didn’t take much time for him to grow not only appreciative of her beauty but of her. He enjoyed his time with her. He would never (ever) admit how she made him feel. Her smile made him smile. Her laugh made him feel lighter. Her banter made him feel younger.

Max also wasn’t blind to her favoritism. She chose him to accompany her almost everywhere she went. She sought him for counsel on nearly everything. He found her by his side when they ventured anywhere together. He didn’t exactly know why he was one of her favorite crew members, but he accepted that she enjoyed having him around. He wasn’t going to complain, but he kept himself in check and banished any thoughts that may have been impure.

One trip to Monarch undid those months of self-control.

_“You make me feel safe.” She admitted one night in Fallbrook with a bright smile, the dimples in her cheeks making his heart race. He brushed it off with a smart-ass comment and he laughed and she laughed and all was right with the colony._

But something wasn’t right. There was an odd sense of masculine pride that washed over him when he heard those words. His late-night thoughts returned. They were no longer occupied by a heady admiration of her body but became occupied by complex, intricate fantasies of being _with _her. Making a life with her, settling down, filing out a marriage contract. The fantasies were embarrassing, humiliating, more suited for a young kid instead of a grown man – but they brought him comfort.

He used those fantasies to help him feel better about the impending doom he sensed hanging over their relationship. He hadn’t meant to lie to her… but he also did. His lies ate away at him. He knew she trusted him and viewed him as a confidant. Why couldn’t he have half the decency of a normal fucking man and be honest with her about his past?

He withdrew angrily from her for the week leading up to finding Chaney. Refused assignments with her and avoided her left and right. He wasn’t outright rude – but he kept her at just out of arms reach. He was furious with himself, sure. But maybe the inevitable heartbreak that would rise from the ashes of the situation would be softened by him making the break now. To deter her from any closeness they’d experienced. To self-sabotage their complex friendship before he completely ruined it.

He quickly learned that Sofia wasn’t one to be deterred. He could sense the tension from her during this time – could feel the way she reciprocated his curtness. But she didn’t leave him alone. She didn’t ignore him. She still requested him to join her time and time again – even if she knew he would deny her. She didn’t do anything that he wanted her to so desperately to do. He’d leave his quarters for mere minutes and return to find newly found books, unopened liquor, and tossball cards sitting on his desk. He knew she was the one who brought them. It was always her. He’d never felt more agonizing self-hatred than he did during that long week.

When he had discovered Chaney’s location he dropped the façade and requested to find him. She readily accepted with a small smile. He could see the pain behind it. He wanted to be open with her then - to explain his past in detail and beg for her forgiveness. But he didn’t. Before leaving her in the mess hall after requesting to go after Chaney, he paused and garnered whatever self-control he had left.

_“I want to apologize for all of this.” He spoke softly yet professionally. “This whole situation is awfully messy.”_

_Sofia snorted and her hurt smile melted off of her face – replaced by a quirked brow. “It’s not that messy.”_

_“Not yet.” He murmured as he left he behind._

It was messy. Very messy. Too fucking messy.

Max learned something else about Sofia; she was not afraid of a mess.

Max’s blossoming feelings for Sofia burst into bloom when she stopped him from killing Chaney. Max’s rage was so strong that he could barely register what was going on around him during the confrontation. But he remembered her grabbing at his arm, a flurry of dark curls whipping in front of him, small hands pressing firmly into his chest and pushing him back away from Reggie. He looked down at the spell of fury was broken by her beautiful brown eyes. He stopped readying the assault that was never destined to happen in the first place and let Sofia push him away.

Sofia didn’t let Reggie go – and quickly instructed Felix to restrain the man. Meanwhile, the world of Monarch floated away and Max was left with his beloved captain pleading with him while her hands gripped his armor.

Between learning about the hermit on Scylla and the moment they landed on Scylla to find her – their relationship had changed. It wasn’t a very long time – but he could feel something had shifted.

She forgave him for everything and insisted on helping him again.

He’d never experienced such mercy.

They didn’t have many dangerous adventures during those few days – but they did make a few trips to Monarch and Terra 2 and Groundbreaker to restock on supplies and prepare for what was to come. He caught her late at night in the mess hall – leaned over a cup of tea with her head resting in her hands. He’d noticed then that a majority of their interactions around that time happened at night – when all others were sleeping. His stomach flipped as he realized she wasn’t sleeping.

_“Captain…”_

_“Surely we’re close enough that you can call me Sofia?” She didn’t look up from the table but smiled. _

_“Doesn’t feel quite right.” He admitted swiftly and just as quickly took a seat across from her. He noticed her demeanor shift during that moment. She was usually so easy-going and calm. She was tense now. _

_“Is there something you would like to discuss, **Vicar**?”_

_Ah. He **did** upset her._

_“Would I look like a terrible ass if I asked you to call me Max and I called you Sofia now?”_

_A genuine laugh bubbled from her lips and she pushed herself up, leaning back in her chair to look at him, a mischievous smile growing on her face. “Doesn’t feel quite right.”_

_“Yes, yes. Okay, fine.” He chuckled._

_“I’m sorry for getting short with you.” Her smile faded and she scrubbed a hand over her face. “I had some things to go over with ADA and now I can’t sleep.”_

_“You’re fine. I’m sorry if I came off as crass.”_

_“So what brings you out here so late?” Sofia asks as she stretches her arms over her head and arches her back._

_Max can’t help his eyes from roving over her chest as she tenses and relaxes. His throat goes dry for a moment. “I feel like I didn’t get a chance to properly apologize for everything that happened with Chaney.”_

_Sofia blinks stoically and she smiles softly. “Max, I – It’s fine. All water under the bridge.”_

_“No it’s not.” He interrupts. “You offered me a place on your crew – friendship – and I used to you to get to Chaney… And even then you saved me from myself.”_

_Sofia doesn’t move to speak. He notices the dark circles under her eyes and he feels an extra painful pang of guilt in his gut. “You owe me nothing, I know, but I’m begging for your forgiveness.”_

_Sofia leans forward and brings her hands on the table. He caught her short movement – as if she was moving to touch his hands. But she doesn’t. Her fingertips tap on the tabletop and she chews on her full lower lip. He blinks a few times to banish the image of taking it in his own mouth._

_“I forgive you.” She whispers lowly and looks up at him. “There’s nothing more to it.”_

_“You are too kind.” The words are a platitude but also a genuine observation. His stomach flips again as he thinks about how kind she really is. How her kindness is refreshing but will be crushed by the colony. How close he was to crushing it himself._

_She picks up on it. “I’ve been told that a few times.”_

Max views her a bit differently after that conversation. She is young – yes – but she is mature. More mature than he might ever be. He feels closer to her than he has ever been to any other soul. So close, in fact, that he begins having a difficult time imagining his life without her in it. When it’s all said and done and their journey comes to an end by volition or by death – what will he do?

The sinking feeling he gets in his stomach concerns him. His anger bubbles to the surface on the way to Scylla and he hopes – just for a moment – than this is the end of his own journey so he doesn’t have to think about that kind of pain. Then the realization hits him – what if it’s her end? He becomes angrier for even entertaining the thought.

He eyes her from across the mess hall as she lazily eats a meal a few hours before they land on the asteroid. She’s seated at the end of the long table – flanked by Felix on her right and Parvati on her left. Her two compadres carry on a lively discussion as she stares blankly at the table – a cup of coffee resting in one of her hands.

Her brown eyes dart up and lock on to his. They stare at each other and he feels his anger dissipate. He smirks and she smiles. He takes a sip of his coffee and notices that she looks away hastily – a pretty blush spreading across the smatter of freckles that dot the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks. He stops mid-sip as this happens, a seed of hope planted deep within his conscience.

Maybe the favoritism _does _mean something.

_An old man can dream._

They get to Scylla unharmed and the sequential events unfold so rapidly that he has trouble recalling them. However, he does recall her adamant insistence that she accomapny him into the meditation room while Parvati nervously insists on staying outside to guard. He remembers them both hastily stripping off their outer armor. He remembers her smiling at him before they ventured into the unknown.

_The cramped space seem to close in on them both as Sofia passed out. He reached out and caught her – his vision swimming with colors and black outlines. He breathed heavily – his absolution hitting him like a shotgun blow – and held her limp body close to him like a life preserver. Max spent the first few minutes of her unconsciousness attempting the make sure she was well. She breathed deeply and evenly as she slept. Max settled for stroking her soft hair out of her face and speaking quietly to her until she began to stir. It was all he could do in his state. She stirred and Max helped her sit up against the wall._

_“Max.” Sofia sighed as she woke, her eyes squinting as she returned to the world of the living. Max found her face particularly flattered as it was illuminated by the firelight and he smiled. _

_Sofia smiled back and Max tried his hand at humor. “I’m glad you’ve joined us again. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I lost the only woman my mother deems to be a good influence.” Max found himself so overcome with emotion that he reached out and cupped her cheek – his thumb stroking the soft skin._

There was more than one realization he came to that day. He remembers her soft cheek beneath his hand – but he also remembers her gasp and the bright red flush that crept up her neck. Max’s heart raced as he noted the reaction, but admittedly focused more on committing the beautiful sight and sound to memory than decoding it.

Max’s realization and acceptance of his universe around him helps him in his day to day. He finds himself more at peace – less caught up in would haves and could haves. He finds himself in the present and enjoying his life rather than mulling about on memories and wishes. However, he can’t shake the delightful unease Sofia brings him.

Some would say he is a changed man, gentler and calmer. Yet he can’t draw his eyes away from her when they’ve lingered for too long. He can’t the thoughts at night that bring him to the precipice of ecstasy. Nor can he stop the underlying desire to constantly be with her.

The night she comes to him, he is overwhelmed with happiness. He provides himself as a source of comfort and provides the friendship she deserves. However, as their conversation intensifies and the room becomes increasingly warmer, Max realizes what he’d been denying for so long.

Her favoritism, her smiles, her thoughtful gifts, her blushes, her gentle words and forgiveness – they weren’t happy coincidences. It was all by design. He didn’t want to admit it and still has difficulty admitting it.

She wanted him. Why someone like Sofia would ever want someone like him is a question that still lingers in the back of his mind – but who is he to take this beautiful gift and waste it because of his own insecurity?

Here she is – a gorgeous beacon of hope and forgiveness who seeks him out for comfort of a different kind.

He practices careful self-control. The intensity at which she feels him touch her could easily become painful or overwhelming. Law help him, he tries to practice every method of self-control he has in his repertoire during his moments with her. He feels like he is dreaming in a way. She is even more lovely than he imagined.

Changed man as he might be, he is still a man.

He buries his face in her womanhood. He is a starving man and she is his feast. He has never felt more high in his life. He undoes his trousers with one hand and pushes them down to his thighs – desperate to join in the raw pleasure with her.

His feelings for her bubble to the surface when she desperately clings to his hand as she reaches her peak. It’s the single-most powerful and beautiful thing he has witness in his life. His heart feels full, as if it’s about to burst. He pushes the feelings aside and removes his mouth from her, afraid to overstimulate her.

He desperately wishes to lap at her again. He settles for keeping his cheek pressed against her soft inner-thigh, his mouth just brushing the outside of her swollen, pink lips. He chases his pleasure there – her presence more than enough for him to find a satisfying end.

Somewhere in the haze of pleasure, he feels her pull their still connected hands up toward her face. Her other hand pulls at his shoulder. She is speechless – just a mess of moans and whimpers buried beneath pants as she comes down from her orgasm. He takes the invitation and moves up over her, his hand still tugging on his aching cock.

He looks at her face and it’s nearly enough to undo him. She is flushed from head to toe – her pretty nose particularly bright and her lips swollen. Her eyes are wide and watery and a small smile forms on her beautiful full lips. He shudders and keeps tugging, feeling his balls tighten. She grabs his arm and pushes it away, taking over for him. He lets her.

He is close now – so close.

She brings his finger up and wraps her thick, swollen lips around it and sucks. He has half a mind to bring his cock up to her mouth and let her finish him like that – but the sight along does him in. Overwhelmed with a desire for intimacy, Max lowers himself to her and kisses her sloppily, letting her finish him with her hands.

He’s never felt more complete as he lets the sensations possess him.

* * *

When Max comes down from his high, he feels Sofia carding her fingers through his hair and placing gentle kisses against his sweaty forehead. His heart flutters and he captures her lips in a gentle kiss. Sofia sighs into it.

Max breaks the kiss and lifts himself off of her fully. He bites back a moan – the image before him surely to be burned into his memory forever. Sofia stretches out on his bed, his cum still painting her soft stomach and large breasts.

There aren’t any words spoken between them for a few minutes as he tucks himself back into his trousers and takes his undershirt off, wadding it up and bringing it down to clean Sofia up. She offers to take it wordlessly but he_ tsks_ at her and completes the task on his own. He takes his time – starting on her stomach and working his way up to her breasts. Once she’s clean, he leans over and takes a single nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and earning a giggle from the woman on the bed.

Her hands fly up to his hair again and she demandingly pulls his mouth away from her breast and to her own mouth. They kiss softly and quietly, the tension between them gone but something new taking its place.

Sofia breaks the kiss and sits up. Max quickly throws his dirty undershirt into his laundry bin and turns to face her. She chews on the inside of her cheek for a second, mulling over words. He doesn’t try to force them from her.

“I need a shower, now.” Sofia deadpans, dodging the questions she was thinking about. Max watches her and smirks.

“I think I do, too. But more importantly, how do you feel?”

“Amazing… I’ll have no problem sleeping tonight.” Sofia smiles and stands. She moves around the room to pick up her clothes – piecing them together as she dresses. He watches with an amused smile.

“Say,” she starts as she tugs her tank top back on – nearly at the end of putting her ensemble back together. “You wouldn’t be opposed to…”

She stops then, hesitating. Max lets out a small sigh of relief he didn’t realize he was holding and raises a brow.

“Hm?”

Sofia fidgets and pulls her pants back on, buckling the belt as she tries again. “I was wondering if you would like to go further next time?”

The Vicar stands up, smiling in full. “How far?”

Max doesn’t miss the way that Sofia’s eyes travel down his bare chest before she responds. “Until I can’t walk.”

There’s laughter and another shared kiss. He wraps his arms around her and holds her for a few moments more – unwilling to let her go until he’s had his fill. There’s a part of him that thinks he’ll never _really_ have his fill of her.

She wraps her arms around his torso and squeezes. She rakes her nails across his back and he grunts at the pleasurable sensation. “You keep that up and I’ll never let you leave this room.”

“I think I’d like that.” She mutters back to him, resting her cheek against his chest.

They separate at some point. They need to. There’s too much to be done to stay up all night. She ties her jacket around her waist and doesn’t bother fixing her hair. For a moment, there’s a basic part of him that hopes someone will spot her walking from his quarters disheveled and satisfied – deducing what happened between them. But he knows that it’s unlikely at that hour and that she needs to shower and sleep. He can her heavy eyelids are getting to her.

Before she opens the door to leave, she turns and kisses him one more time. It’s a sweet, passionate kiss that leaves him breathless again. She breaks away from him and moves to open the door. “Thank you for everything, Vicar.”

The use of his title draws a mischievous smirk from him. “You’re most welcome, Captain.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> It's been awhile since I've picked up The Outer World so forgive any inconsistencies. 
> 
> Thank you for your support. It really helps.
> 
> Take care, wash your hands, stay at home.

Sofia had never slept so soundly in her life.

Her _meeting_ with Max left her jittery and giggly – she honestly didn’t think she could sleep well after that. She ran to her room to gather clean clothes, ran back to the head for a quick shower and then promptly passed out on her bed. ADA’s voice was the only thing to bring her out of her slumber.

“Captain Hawthorne. Captain Hawthorne? Shall I utilize the fire alarm in your room to rouse you?”

“Shut up, ADA.” Sofia groans into her pillow.

“Ah. You are alive. This will be pleasing for your crew to hear.”

“I’m sure it is.” Sofia mutters and rubs at her eyes.

“Your absence has caused quite a stir on board.”

“Am I not allowed to have a full night’s sleep?”

“If 11.28 hours of unconscious snoring constitutes a full night’s sleep – then no.”

Sofia’s eyes widen considerably and she sits up too quickly – bonking the top of her head on the top bars of her rack. “Shit – fuck!”

“That was amusing.”

“Shut up and run this ship before it crashes somewhere.” Sofia grumbles as she climbs out of bed and begins to dress herself.

There are a few minutes of sweet silence and Sofia figures that ADA took the hint. However, as Sofia buttons the last few buttons of her shirt, ADA speaks back up – an odd twinge in her voice.

“I hope your discussion with the Vicar last night was… enlightening.”

Sofia freezes and raises a brow. “I trust that whatever information you gathered about that meeting last night is kept confidential from the rest of the crew.”

“Of course, Captain.” The AI teases. “I am sure that whatever information your crew has in regards to the meeting was gathered from their own rooms.”

Sofia’s stomach drops and she feels a flush creep up.

“I am joking.” ADA deadpans.

“Please – Please tell me that you are.”

“I was joking.” The AI repeats.

Sofia throws her vest on and buttons it quickly before shoving her boots on. Before leaving her quarters, she takes a customary peek in the small mirror that she hung on the side of her rack. She tosses her messy hair up in a bun and stops when she sees a dark mark peeking from her already high-neck collar. Memories of the Vicar’s passion last night frazzle her nerves for a moment. She tugs her collar up a bit higher and takes a deep breath before leaving her quarters.

Sofia hears a hum of discussion around the ship. As she takes her time climbing the stairs to the mess hall, SAM comes barreling down – intent on cleaning something.

Sofia makes it to the landing and faces down the long hallway that led to the mess hall. She takes a deep breath and steels her nerves. Sofia wasn’t exactly a libertine on Earth. She had no shame regarding sex, but her upbringing taught her privacy and reservation. As such she found herself keeping parts of her life private and reserved. The thought of certain crew members knowing what happened last night made her uneasy.

Sofia walks down the long hallway and can’t help herself as she passes by the Vicar’s closed door. Her jitters return and she chews on the inside of her lip as she continues walking down the hallway.

As she enters the mess hall, she’s greeted with a halted conversation.

“Captain!” Nyoka cries dramatically, slamming her coffee mug down. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Delightfully dead to the entire colony.” Sofia answers as she maneuvers around the table to one of the fridges. She busies herself with making something to eat that isn’t Rizzo’s purpleberry crunch. There iss only so much of the sweet shit she can take.

“Some sleep you had.” Parvati mentions kindly. “You clearly needed it.”

“I sure did.” Sofia mutters as she continues to prep her simple meal.

There’s more conversation behind her about serials and toss ball as she moves around the small kitchen area. Her worries dissipate as she focuses on the task on hand. She reaches for a clean pan on another counter when she realizes that Parvati has risen from her seat and is moving toward her. Trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, Sofia goes back to her cutting board and continues her work – only peeking at the other woman.

“So it’s not in my pay grade to snoop.” Parvati starts quietly and incredibly carefully. Sofia closes her eyes and breathes deeply through her nose.

“It really isn’t – but I guess you’re going to go ahead and do it anyways.”

Parvati looks concerned and leans closer, facing the wall so no one can see that they are really talking to one another. Sofia thinks the whole thing looks ridiculous.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that… Look, is there something going on between you and… him?”

“If by him you mean our mutual friend who is also a man-of-the-cloth, then yes.” Sofia whispers quickly as she looks at the other woman. “But I really don’t think it’s something that -”

“Good afternoon, Vicar!” Nyoka cries again and she stands up to put her mug in the sink.

Sofia and Parvati jump and turn around to face the entrance to the mess hall – as if they got caught doing something. Max’s eyes immediately find Sofia’s and he smiles at her before turning his attention to Nyoka. “Good afternoon, Nyoka.”

Sofia turns back around to focus on finishing her food and she nudges Parvati in the process. “Can we drop it right now?”

Parvati, wide-eyed and confused, nods. “Yeah – Meet me in the engine room in twenty?”

Sofia nods and keeps her gaze down. Parvati leaves her side and within a few seconds, Sofia realizes that someone else has taken her place. Sofia looks up mid-cut to find Max leaning into her to grab a clean mug from a shelf in front of her. She smells his aftershave and the pomade he uses in his hair. She watches him closely. As he withdraws from the shelf – mug in hand – his eyes lock with hers. “Heard you slept for quite some time.”

“I did.” Sofia replies softly. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby.” Max responds and fixes his coffee next to her. Sofia looks down and finishes cutting the veggies she had been working on for some time. “Although, I must admit that I had difficulty falling asleep. Felt like I had some unfinished business.” The older man smirks into his coffee mug and turns around.

Sofia’s face burns within seconds. Yet she makes haste and finishes making her breakfast. She cleans her dishes and sits down at the table in an open spot across from Nyoka. Nyoka makes for pleasant and high-energy conversation that Sofia isn’t quite ready for yet. But Sofia tries her best to keep up. She eats quietly, responding to Nyoka only when necessary.

The chair next to Sofia’s scrapes the floor as it’s pulled out. Max takes a careful seat next to her. Sofia feels his knee brush against her thigh and she almost shivers.

“Do you think we can have Parvati look at the damn radio?” Felix enters the mess hall in a flash. “There’s a damn game on today and it crapped out on us last night.”

Max scoots his chair in further under the table and his warm thigh is pressed right up against hers under the table. She almost chokes mid-chew. “Yeah – yeah. I’ll take it to her in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Cap.” Felix sighs as he looks around for something to eat. Nyoka and Felix begin a conversation that Sofia can’t even keep track of. She eats quietly and risks a look at Max. Book in hand, he sits next to her, shoveling food into his mouth with his other hand. She watches him for a few moments and he notices – prying his eyes away from the book to return her gaze.

She can’t help herself – just can’t fucking help herself. She smiles and turns away from him, a blush forming again.

Sofia focuses on finishing her meal – not so much self-conscious about the man sitting so close to her but instead enjoying it. The outside of his thigh is pressed up against hers under the table. She feels safe and grounded by it.

Max finishes his bowl of food and unceremoniously drops his spoon in the bowl before pushing it away from him. He returns to his book and his now unoccupied hand descends underneath the table. Sofia doesn’t think a thing of it until it lands on her mid-thigh.

“Captain.” Nyoka stops her conversation with Felix momentarily.

Sofia twitches and the hand on her thigh flexes around her, squeezing her lightly. She swallows before she responds. “Yes?”

“Are you going aboard the Groundbreaker today?”

“That’s the plan.” Sofia responds with a cough.

“Do you think we could…” Nyoka’s voice is there, but Sofia doesn’t comprehend the words. Max’s hand flexes and releases. His large hand slides down to her knee before bounding back up. His fingers get inexplicably close to her crotch and she chews on the inside of her lip. He squeezes the sensitive flesh again and releases. Sofia’s body responds to his touch far quicker than she anticipated.

Sofia doesn’t have the heart or the mind to ask Nyoka to repeat what she said – but from her expression and how emphatically it was said – Sofia nods noncommittally. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”

Nyoka can tell something was off. The woman was so perceptive that she would easily figure out what happened last night if Sofia put her to the task. Sofia knew Nyoka was onto her. Nyoka knew that Sofia knew. Nyoka gives a suspicious nod – her eyes darting between the occupied Vicar and the very distracted Captain.

As the conversation between Felix and Nyoka resumes, Sofia feels rather emboldened. She calculates the risk for a moment before letting the hand closest to him slip under the table. She returns the favor, finding his muscular thigh and sliding her hand over the top of it. She leans forward onto the table, her chin resting in the palm of her other hand.

The Vicar doesn’t react much to her touch – at least not nearly to the degree that she reacted to his. But he sets the book down and leans forward on the table as well. Their eyes catch for a moment and he risks a small smile. Her hand is stopped by a much larger one, and he laces their fingers together under the table.

Sofia takes a deep breath and exhales through her nose – squeezing his hand quickly before sitting up and letting go. She remembers her meeting with Parvati and she moves quickly to clean up her mess before leaving.

“Leaving so soon, Captain?” The Vicar drawls sadly.

Sofia stops, wiping her wet hands on a towel and sparing him a look over her shoulder. “I’ve a meeting with Parvati. If you need me anytime before we disembark, you know where to find me.”

* * *

The door to the engine room opens with a loud hiss and suspicious creak. Sofia would be concerned if it weren’t for the wide-eyed engineer waiting very impatiently in the middle of the room with her arms crossed.

Parvati slaps the door control when Sofia steps in and they hiss shut behind her.

“Okay.” Parvati starts suddenly, her voice cracking just a bit. “What’s going on?”

“How did you even know?” Sofia counters quietly.

“I saw you walking from his room in the dead of night with this – this like – crazy smile on your face.”

Sofia blushes, “it’s not exactly what you think it is.”

Parvati laughs a bit, genuinely amused. “It’s pretty much what I think it is.”

“And what do you think it is?” Sofia challenges.

Parvati stops short, crossing her arms and cocking her head. “You and him are – are – knocking boots.”

Sofia cackles. “Knocking. Boots.”

“Yeah – knocking boots.” Parvati’s eye narrow to thin slits. “I know what sex is, Captain.”

“I know you know what sex is.” Sofia giggles and takes a seat on a nearby crate.

“It’s just really, really, really weird to me.” Parvati admits, scrubbing her face with both of her hands. “Vicar Max has been the Vicar in Edgewater since I was a teenager, Captain. I never talked to him a ton but he was this fatherly presence for the entirety of Edgewater. Law – a childhood friend of mine used to call him dad as a partial-joke.”

Sofia can’t help herself and she bites back a smile for a split second before the words spill from her lips with a poorly concealed laugh. “Yeah, I call him that, too.”

Parvati dramatically drops her hands and slaps her thighs, her eyes rolling and snarling in disgust. “Foul. You are foul.”

“I’m really not, Parvati.” Sofia concedes and wipes the tears that formed at the corners of her eyes. She inhales. “I care about him. I care about him a lot. He cares about me. If it helps preserve the image of your squeaky-clean Vicar, I sought him out – he didn’t seek me out.”

“You propositioned him?” Parvati groans and flushes brightly. “This whole thing is so embarrassing.”

“I’m sorry to cause you so much embarrassment.” Sofia shrugs, feeling slightly defensive. “I’ve been frozen in cryo for 70 years and he’s helping me remember what it’s like to be human again.”

Parvati is silent. The whole exchange is humorous, but with a tinge of tension.

“Parvati, I understand your feelings, but nothing is going to change because of that.” Sofia speaks softly, her hands clasped in front of her. “If we work out, we work out. If we don’t, we don’t. But I won’t let other’s opinions on the relationship to affect it.”

Parvati purses her lips and looks down. “I understand.”

There’s a tense moment before Parvati groans again. “It’s just so weird, though.”

Sofia laughs again, standing and stretching. “It is, isn’t it?”

“No, no.” Parvati clarifies. “I mean, he’s older you know and like – I just don’t get it. I won’t get it. The man is like an uncle to me.”

Sofia gives the other woman time to sort through the situation with a barrage of words. It’s an awkward encounter, but there’s an amicable nature behind it all.

“…I guess that’s all there is to this…” Parvati sighs with a shrug. “Regardless, it’s your life, you know?”

“I know.” Sofia nods with a laugh, stretching her legs out in front of her and standing up. “I need to head out. I have some things to take care of before I disembark.”

“Alrighty.” Parvati sighs again – but this one is more chipper.

Sofia straightens her vest and turns to leave before something hits her. “Oh shit, I forgot. Felix asked me to bring you the radio – it’s been on the fritz. Do you think you could take a look at it before we leave Groundbreaker?”

“Yeah, sure.” Parvati smiles and looks back down to the workbench. “Drop it off before you disembark so I can pick some things up before we leave.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be back in a bit.” Sofia smiles, feeling the normalcy return with her friend. She leaves the engine room and makes her way back to the mess hall.

* * *

Sofia had every intention of fetching the radio quickly. A trip straight to the mess hall and back with no interruption. She begrudgingly remembers that things never go that way – lest on the Unreliable. First it was Ellie asking her opinion on a weapon mod, then it was ADA asking for input on some update she was trying to finish, then it was a short video call from Phineas, then it was Felix – anxious to figure out whether or not the radio was fixed already. Before she can fully register how long it’s been – her day has been nearly consumed.

Sofia weaves her way through her responsibilities, feeling far more energetic than she had been in days prior but still overwhelmed within just minutes. Grasping the radio in her arms, she makes a valiant escape from her responsibilities, eyes trained on the room she sought out the night before. His door is open, his light is on. Sofia tries her best to walk by casually but nearly stumbles over her feet as she reaches the door.

The Vicar sits where he always does during the day cycle – firmly in his chair with a book in his hand. His eyes flash up from the top edge of the book. He opens his mouth to say something, his eyes locked on the electronic contraption held tightly to her chest. Sofia hears chatter coming from the staircase and steps inside of his room without permission, hand swiftly hitting the door closure. As the door whips closed behind her, she lets out a deep breath and turns back to face the man. Her heart begins to beat harder.

Max rises from his seat and moves to stand only a foot away from her. He gently grasps the radio and pulls it from her arms, setting on the nearby table with remarkable serenity. He faces her again and her arms drop to her sides. “Playing hide and seek?”

The meaning of the words takes a moment to sink in. Once it does, Sofia lets out a pathetic snort, “More hide than seek…”

Sofia takes a moment to admire the man, swallowing thickly as she peeks over his shoulder and reminisces about the night before.

Max slides his arms around her waist and pulls her to his body. Sofia shivers at the warm contact, wrapping her arms around his neck. A large hand travels the small expanse of her back, sliding up between her shoulder blades and down to the swell of her backside. Sofia sighs and flushes at the contact. It feels nice and maybe sends a flurry of warmth down to her womb. But more importantly, it’s comforting. She revels in the contact for a few moments more before pulling back to look at Max.

He assesses her with a gentle expression and it’s enough to send her over the edge. She lifts herself purposefully and kisses him. It draws a deep chuckle from the man, but before Sofia can feel the least bit embarrassed, he returns the kiss aggressively and brings his hands up to her neck. Sofia’s hands find their way to his vestments, where they curl and tighten in the fabric. Max groans into the kiss when she presses her body fully against his.

“Captain Hawthorne.” ADA’s voice crackles in the room and Max breaks the kiss and Sofia sighs sadly and the whole mood is ruined. Silence fills the room, and Max brings a hand up to push a few curls out of Sofia’s face.

“Captain Hawthorne.”

Sofia rolls her eyes and looks up at the ceiling, enjoying Max’s attention. “Yes, ADA?”

“I apologize for the interruption. I understand the Vicar’s spiritual counsel is important to you, but there’s another call from Phineas. He says that it is urgent.”

Sofia silently begs that Max can’t pick up on the odd inflection in ADA’s voice. The quirk of his brow tells her that any begging is far too late.

“I understand. I’m coming down right away.” Sofia responds evening. ADA signs off and the line to the Vicar’s room goes dead.

“I’m sorry.” Sofia smiles apologetically.

“You have no reason to apologize.” Max reassures her with a chaste kiss. “Go and talk to Phineas.”

Sofia straightens herself up and grabs the radio from the table. Max stops her. “I’ll take this down to Parvati. You go speak with Phineas. Let me help.”

It’s a simple gesture but Sofia feels a warmth radiate in her chest. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Max picks up the radio.

Sofia moves to the door, hand just about to reach for the closure. Max stops her. Sofia looks at him questioningly.

“Would you like to finish this… spiritual counsel later?” Max flirts unabashedly, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

“I would, Vicar.” Sofia hits back with a sweet smile before tapping the door closure mechanism. The door whips open and without so much as a glimpse at the other, the two go their separate ways.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left - enjoy!
> 
> This chapter is admittedly a bit personal and where I stopped writing for awhile.
> 
> 2019 was really rough and I experienced two major traumatic events. A loved one died in my arms after I tried to save them and my dog died. Both passed very young. Sofia's shock response is how I responded to these things. It's the first time I've inserted something like this into a story of mine. I don't know why I chose to share that but it was hard to write. 
> 
> Anyways, there's one more chapter in the story and that's when the fun stuff will happen. 
> 
> Stay safe, wash your hands, stay inside, etc.

The spiritual counsel was never finished.

Phineas found out where the dimethyl sulfoxide was on Byzantium.

Within a whirlwind of events that spanned over several days, Sofia found herself face to face with the fears that her spiritual counsel with Max was intended to help her deal with. Somehow, her recent breakthrough with Max coupled with a hefty dose of hesitant optimism gave her what she needed to make it through. Even making it through the Ministry of Accuracy and Morale by herself was a feat she was confident to tackle.

It was the choice she faced in the Ministry of Accuracy and Morale that seemed to paralyze her. The fluorescent lights and blinking switches blurred together as she stood in the middle of the lab, the gravity of the situation dropping onto her shoulders violently. The motivating force behind her actions – the reason she did anything she had done until this point became an obstacle in and of itself; her family. The room closed in on her, leaving her staring at the terminal screen with tears in her eyes. She whipped around, her chest tightening as she looked at every single tube with another colonist in it…

Who else loved someone in this room like she loved her family?

Who else has a family waiting?

Who else was willing to take the measures she took?

Sofia panicked, stomach churning as she turned back to the terminal. She cried as she readied the transfer. She forced herself to shelve her tears as the sequence geared up to effectively steal the dimethyl sulfoxide, not knowing what she was about to witness.

Sofia made her escape on nothing but adrenaline. She ran faster than she ever ran, the capsule of dimethyl sulfoxide and last beacon of hope for her loved ones hugged tightly to her chest. Hallways and stairwells and streets passed by with a blur until she finds herself by the canal – fresh air and a moment of peace offering her the time to ground herself. She promptly puked into the canals of Byzantium.

She finds her way back to the safehouse – an abandoned mansion of a time bygone used for her to avoid implicating the Unreliable with her numerous crimes committed in Byzantium. She sneaks into the back of the mansion and ascends until she reaches the attic. Dumping her bag and the capsule on the cot, she paces back and forth before the terminal on the ground. A dangerously violent tremor begins in her hands as she struggles to operate the terminal used to communicate with ADA.

Tears form in her eyes again and her breath is stolen from her. She rips herself away from the terminal to pace once more. Sobs tear from her throat as she slides down to the ground, sounds of suffocation echoing around her. She struggles valiantly to hold it together enough to not vomit again.

It’s a game of give and take, she realizes quickly and tries to breathe as the panic washes over her. It subsides within minutes and she doesn’t move for the terminal but for her canteen. The tremor in her hands subsides as she unscrews the top and greedily drinks from it. She takes her time and breathes carefully, rationality winning for just a few minutes.

It doesn’t last long and she once again finds herself sobbing into her arm and about to vomit. Sofia braves the storm until she calms once more. Thinking ahead, Sofia digs through her belongings and pulls out a blister packet of downers. She swallows them without a second thought and leans herself up against the wall.

Sofia tries to conjure up images of a happier time, anything other than what she had just witnessed. Her mind only finds one memory to cling to; something tangible and recent. The night in Max’s room. The memory serves her well until she finds herself longing for the man… She remembers she’s alone…

The cycle repeats.

The game of give and take ends about a half an hour later when Sofia’s lids become too heavy and she lets her body slump to the ground.

* * *

The downers might has well have been tranquilizers. There’s a smidgeon of regret that eats at Sofia for taking something so strong, but it got the job done. She woke up and downed the rest of her canteen, sent off her message from the terminal and waited. It only took a few minutes for ADA to respond that they were making their descent to the port. Sofia gathered her things, strangely numb when shoving the capsule underneath some spare clothes in her bag and left the mansion as quickly as she could.

Sofia returns to the ship within the hour. Her shock ebbs into a terrible, persisent headache and sickening feeling deep within her stomach. She doesn’t really know what to expect as the ramp descends and the door to her ship opens – but the three faces staring at her provide her with a since of relief and grief.

Max, Parvati and Nyoka wait just at the inside of the ship, past the gangway. Sofia ascends the gangway, her bag suddenly weighted as she recalls pieces from the day before. The door shuts behind her and she risks a look at each crew member. Sofia can read their faces. She doesn’t need a mirror to know that the night before took its toll on her.

“I’m fine.” She preemptively addresses the obvious.

“What the fuck happened to you.” Nyoka asks callously. Sofia knows better than to be offended, but feels her ire rising.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sofia rasps out, her throat burning from sobbing. Max’s brow is firmly furrowed, but he doesn’t say anything.

The silence that follows it awkward. Sofia seeks to remedy it. “ADA.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Get us off Terra 2.”

“Of course, Captain.”

Sofia moves to skirt around the others to the bridge, clenching her jaw. “I would appreciate some space.”

* * *

The jovial camaraderie that Max usually feels aboard the Unreliable is nowhere to be found tonight. Sofia’s sanguine presence is gone for seemingly the first time. She’s locked herself away to face what she was experiencing in isolation – a sentiment Max identifies with all too well.

“We should go check on her.” Parvati announces when they meet in the mess hall at some point in the evening.

“She wants space.” Max explains as he carefully drains the water from the noodles he cooked over the stove-top.

“Just ‘cause she wants it doesn’t mean she needs it.” Parvati flitters about the kitchenette, tone tight with worry.

Max hums as he shakes the strain to rid of excess water. His movements are careful and calculated. Parvati freezes, eyes trained on him, clearly expecting something more from him.

“Are you serious?” Parvati scowls and takes a few steps forward. “You – you –”

Max pour the noodles in a large bowl and place them on a tray. “I what?”

There is no venom in his tone. He is genuinely curious.

Parvati takes one final step – now standing just next to him. “I know about you two. About what happened last week.”

Max pauses, but shrugs it off as he meticulously places a fork and spoon on the tray next to the steaming bowl. “What does that have to do with right now.”

“She told me she cares about you.” Parvati whispered harshly. “You don’t seem like you care much for her with the way you’ve been acting.”

Max processes her statement and lets it go, attributing her frustration from her deep concern. He grabs a bottle of Purpleberry juice from the fridge and an empty glass from the cabinet. “How have I been acting?”

“Like…” Parvati starts and stops. She chews on the inside of her cheek before continuing. “If Junlei was going through this I would be by her side.”

“Is Junlei Sofia?” Max asks kindly, eyebrows shooting up. “Are they the same person?”

“No… but…” Parvati starts again but sighs, giving up.

“You are a wonderful friend, Parvati. Sofia cares deeply for you and I can tell that you care deeply for her.” Max grabs a Purpleberry Bunch and places it neatly at the corner of the tray. “I implore you to be fair when assessing my relationship with Sofia. You may know about what happened a week ago, but do you know what happened between us for countless hours before? When we were alone together talking and bonding?”

Parvati’s expression softens. “No.”

“I know Sofia well enough to take a pretty good guess of what she needs now. She will come to us when she is ready. For now we need to keep our distance.” Max picks up to the tray, loaded with food and drink, and carefully maneuvers around Parvati. “Thank you for being a good friend to Sofia, Parvati. It’s hard to find in this galaxy.”

Parvati rubs the back of her neck and glances down at the ground. As he passes by her, her brows furrow. “What’s that for?”

Smiling, Max answers. “Our Captain.”

* * *

Sofia communicates with Phineas briefly, takes a shower and change. She moves on autopilot, her limbs, head, and soul heavy. She mulls over the events, trying to distract herself with mundane tasks around her quarters.

Sofia pulls her damp curls up to rest in a bun on top of her hair. Her face is pale, dark circles punched in under her bloodshot eyes. Capilaries in her jaw had burst – leaving small red splotches along her jaw line. Her cheek was developing a nasty bruise from a close run-in with a guard.

The vain part of her wonders what Max thinks of how she looks, the rational part of her understands that he would be more concerned with how she wound in such a state rather than how she looks. She snorts, before blanching. The sound she makes reminds her of desperate gasps for air. Sofia shakes her head, trying to disperse memories from the previous day infiltrating her head.

Sofia grabs the cold railing on the wall, the metal acting as a tool for grounding herself. A pain in her jaw reminds her to loosen up a bit. Sofia moves to the beverage cart in the corner of the room, pouring herself a drink. A tremor in her hand causes the decanter to clink against the glass obnoxiously.

Without much elegance, Sofia sits in the chair at her desk and leans back. Drinking as she gazes out into the aether. The alcohol warms her body, relaxing the tension building in her neck and back. The silence and solitude calms her head.

The solitude extends into the night cycle of the ship. ADA attempts a few times to summon Sofia to deal with a disruption on the ship or to invite her to dinner with her crew, but Sofia dismisses her repeatedly – opting to lay in bed with silence as her companion.

Sofia vaguely wonders what Max is doing and even feels compelled at some point to ask ADA. She bites her tongue and curls up tighter with her blankets instead. She drifts in and out of sleep, which is thankfully dreamless.

At one point, Sofia wakes to a rattling sound outside of her door. She sits up carefully so she doesn’t hit her head and ducks under the low-hanging rack. She pads near the door, her eyes still blurry from sleep, and stands as still as she can to hear anything.

Silence.

She gently taps the door closure mechanism and the door whirls open, revealing no one. She tries to step out and look down the stairwell, but her foot hits something. Looking down, she sees a neatly assembled food-tray. Sofia is overwhelmed with emotion for a moment. She wastes no time and brings it in, setting it on her desk. When the door is safely shut, she goes back over to her desk and toys around with the tray. It’s an odd assortment – but it’s an assortment of some of her favorite foods. Noodles, fish sticks, Purpleberry Bunch. She pauses, remembering her attempts at making Max feel better before their trip to Monarch. She smiles, reaching for the colorful soda.

“ADA.” Sofia calls out into the stale air of her room.

“Yes, Captain?” ADA inquires politely.

“Who brought this to my door.”

There’s an uncharacteristically long pause from ADA. “Vicar DeSoto brought it, Captain.”

A pointed exhale later, Sofia dismisses the AI. “Thank you, ADA. That’s all for now.”

Sofia sits down and tries not to get misty-eyed as she eats.

* * *

Sofia ate her food, snuck out to the head, and then came back to her room with big plans to sleep through the night cycle. She curls up under the thick blankets that still smell like the cologne of the previous captain of the ship.

An ever-present reminder that her life isn’t _really _her own.

She doesn’t quite fall asleep but falls into a trance-like state while staring out into the aether. Occasionally her eyes droop a bit too far and sleep takes her for no more than a few minutes. She jolts out of it every time, heart racing.

Her thoughts wonder from here to there, unable to stay in one place for very long – as does her body. She tosses and turns, her legs restless and her back aching. Sofia’s eyes wander to the bag where the blister packet of tranquilizers are nestled inside. She’s almost desperate enough to take them. She’s not desperate enough.

After another episode of jolting herself just from the edge of sleep, Sofia gets up. It’s the dead of night in the ship cycle. She stands, joints cracking as she stretches. The cool air of the ship kisses her bare legs and arms – the tank top and shorts providing barely any warmth. She wraps the blanket around herself and picks up the tray to deposit it in the kitchen.

The ship hums, pressurized air hissing through the vents. It’s quiet enough for a chill to run up Sofia’s back. She walks lightly into the mess hall, her eyes drawn to a blue figure lounging on the couch. Sofia’s breath is nearly taken away by the sight.

Max lounges at the far end of the couch, arms crossed and chin tucked with a slight snore emanating from him. Sofia can’t help the endeared smile that breaks out across her face. She sets the tray down on the counter and shuffles over to his sleeping form. His usually styled hair has fallen out of place and is barely falling into his eyes. Conflicted, Sofia’s hands twitched by her side.

Sofia swallows and moves to sit next to him. She moves slowly and cautiously, wincing a bit when her weight sinks into the old couch noisily. The noise doesn’t bother him. Sofia reaches up and carefully tucks his hair back into place. Her fingers linger on the crown of his head, adoration causing a flush to creep up her beck.

The way Max cares for her chokes her up a bit – makes her feel more than she probably should.

Her fingers trail down from the crown of his head to his temple. With a feather-light touch she drags her fingertips down his face until she reaches the edge of his jaw. She brings her small palm forward to cup his face. He flinches a bit, his eyes blinking open.

Sofia bites her lip but doesn’t move, keeping her hand against his warm face.

Max’s brow furrows just a bit before crows feet appear from his smile. “Sofia.”

His voice is hoarse with sleep and purposefully soft. Sofia smiles back, admittedly blinking some tears away. An idea strikes her like lightening. Her palm leaves his face and finds his hand. With a firm grip, she stands up and tugs a little.

Max’s smile fades into a confused expression.

Sofia answers him with a whisper. “Come to my quarters.”

Max’s smile returns, but with an apologetic twinge. “Sofia, are you sure that’s what you need right now?”

Sofia’s smile falls from confusion before returning with mirth. “No, no. I meant to just sleep. You’re sleepy and I’m sleepy. My bed is bigger than yours. It’s perfect.”

Realization dawns on Max and he stands, following the blanket-covered woman up to her quarters. Giddy as she can be in this situation, Sofia all but drags him into her room and closes the door. There’s no words needed between the two. Max is exhausted; possibly more-so than Sofia at this point.

Sofia shucks her shorts off and climbs into the bed, firmly pressed against the wall. Max carefully unbuttons his overcoat and slips off his shoes and trousers. Sofia notes the way that he folds his clothes carefully and places them on her desk. Left in a shirt and his boxer-briefs, Max carefully climbs into the bed.

It’s a little awkward – trying to figure out who spoons whom and how to not elbow each other in the face. It doesn’t take long for the two to find what works. Max, sprawled on his back with Sofia half-way draped over him. With her ear pressed against his chest, Sofia is lulled by his heartbeat. Sleep approaches quickly – far quicker than she thought it would. A surge of affections courses through her.

“Thank you for the food.” She whispers into the dark, a tear slipping out onto his undershirt.

“You’re welcome.” Max mutters while pressing a kiss to her head.

Sleep creeps up on them and Sofia reflects on Byzantium briefly. She barely has time to process how the panic is shattered by the warm presence underneath her before sleep takes her completely.

This time she doesn’t jolt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, y'all.
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and support!
> 
> I hope you enjoy. I'm looking into maybe finishing and publishing a one shot I have of this couple that happens after this story. If you all are interested in something like that, let me know!

Heat is the first thing Max registers as he comes to. He quickly realizes that he’s tucked away under heavy, cologne-riddled blankets and his limbs are so delightfully weighed down that he can’t quite feel them. The fingertips of his right hand tingle as blood flow increases and consciousness returns. The tingling intensifies and he flexes his arm to assuage it. His muscles are met with significant resistance.

Max struggles but manages to open his eyes then. Blankets rustle with slight movement as he fights to free his arm. He blinks once, twice, and on the third time he can finally see the source of his entrapment.

Sofia sleeps soundly, curled into herself on her side. Her legs are tangled with his, her backside tucked firmly against his hips, and her head resting peacefully on his right arm. Her hair is mussed around her head, the soft tresses tickling maxes arm and face. Max can’t help but smile and indulge in the heat they share. Max stifles a yawn, stretching his legs and arms as gingerly as he can to not wake her before sinking back into the bed.

Sofia stirs, humming and huffing and squirming as she teeters between awake and asleep. Max finds one of her hands tucked up under her chin with his own tingling hand. He vaguely feels her smaller fingers thread between his and he squeezes. Sofia squeezes back and moans lightly, pressing her body back into his own. Max huffs out a breath of his own as her soft curves press into him. His already stiff cock slots nicely against her ass. Max feels himself flush from the contact and he risks bringing his left hand to run across the exposed soft skin of her stomach. He holds her still, palm flat against her belly button. This appeases her, and her sleeping form gradually stops moving – her noises and huffs returning to deep, even breaths.

Max controls his own breathing and buries his face into the mess of hair in front of him. Affection swells in him and he plants a kiss at the base of her neck, mouthing at the soft skin lovingly until his eyes droop once more.

* * *

Sofia has to pee – but the bed is so warm and she’s so tired and Max feels so right up against her that she doesn’t want to move. She frowns – eyes still closed and forehead now pressed gently up against the wall, and stubbornly wiggles her way back into Max’s body heat. His cock strains through his box brief and into her ass – a sensation she’s enjoying a little too much. The electric shock of arousal to her system only serves to remind her that she has to pee bad.

Senses overloaded and body achey, Sofia grumpily pushes the blankets from her body and rolls until she’s on her other side. She blinks a few times and Max’s sleeping frown meets her gaze. Sofia huffs, one eye open and the other closed and tries – tries – to climb over Max’s hulking body and out of the bunk. She succeeds. Barely.

Tripping over her own feet, she stumbles out of the rack and out of her quarters. She’s made this journey many times in the haze of half-consciousness. She does her business and drinks water straight from the faucet to assuage her scratchy throat before returning clumsily to her quarters.

The door hisses open and shut. Sofia rubs the palms of her hands into her eyes, stifling a yawn as best as she can as she pauses next to the bed.

“Hi there…” Max rasps, fighting sleep as he stretches out on her bed. Sofia’s vision is still blurred from sleep but she can make out enough to know that the sight is lovely. Max has pushed the blankets down around his feet, his muscular legs exposed to the dim light in her quarters. His shirt is tangled around his torso and has ridden up, exposing a trail of dark hair below his belly button. Letting her eyes wander more, Sofia feels the sharp stab of arousal return as she assesses his erection – fighting to get through the fabric of his underwear.

Drunk from arousal and exhaustion, Sofia fights the ghosts of the days before the only way she knows how. She reaches down to the hem of her shirt and lifts it over her head.

* * *

Max woke up when she rolled over him to leave her quarters. He was so tired he didn’t even think twice about her leaving before he began to doze off. His thoughts lingered, however and he found himself slowly waking up – apt to see her return.

When she pauses in front of the bed, Max takes a moment to appreciate her. His eyes sweep over her whole body. She’s even more beautiful in the fading lights of the void. Her hair is wild, lips full, eyes narrowed from sleep, body dwarfed by the large shirt she wears and her legs bare and enticing.

“Hi there…” Max greets her and soon her eyes are trailing along his body.

Max mulls over her actions and considers yanking her down to the bed to finally sate them both. Blood surges through his veins when her eyes land between his legs and her full lower lip is pulled between her too-white teeth.

Max has little time to react, however. Sofia brazenly lifts her shirt and tosses it on the chair near the liquor cart. Left only in her plain skivvies, Sofia is beautiful. Light catches on her skin and she _glows_. Max feels his cock twitch as he lets his gaze fall on her full breasts.

His gaze is broken and in a flash, Sofia is climbing onto the bed - straddling him. She leans forward, capturing his lips in a kiss and grinding her hips against his now aching cock. Max grunts into the chaste kiss, fire igniting in his blood as she presses herself rhythmically against him. His hands fly to the impossibly soft skin of her waist, fingertips digging into her flesh as the meld together.

Max breaks the kiss, his hands sliding from her sides to her front, palming gently at her stomach and ribcage. Max grinds his teeth as her hips continue to meet his, the smoldering friction of clothing and flesh enough to send his mind spinning. He keeps his eyes trained on her face. A crease manifests between her brows as they draw tight, long eyelashes flash against her glowing skin as her lids sink low and lips parted as her stuttering breath escapes in dazed moans.

Max’s hands slide up to cup her breasts, thumbs brushing and swirling patterns around her pebbled nipples before squeezing the mounds carefully. Sofia exhales shakily through clenched teeth, eyes pinched shut as her hips continue twisting and rocking against his. He captures one pert nipple between his fingers and tugs. The action draws her taut, back arching to press her chest further into him and her head falls back. Max seizes the moment, bringing his lips to the delicate skin of her neck. He mouths at her, tongue dragging and teeth nipping against the column of her neck.

Sofia gasps and brings her hips down against him particularly hard. The force of her action forcing out a puff of air from Max’s lungs and sends a lightening bolt of raw arousal through him. Her hands are like ice from exposure to the cold, stale air of her quarters – he only jolts a little as her small fingers reach down and under his shirt. Cool fingertips dance over his stomach and up to his chest. She rakes her fingers down through his chest hair and smooths her palms back up to his collar bone. Max sinks his teeth into the meeting point of her neck and shoulder, sucking the skin into his mouth and laving at it with his tongue.

The whole scene is nothing short of decadent, he realizes in a moment of clarity. They move against each other desperately, but not frantically. Max releases her breasts and uses his hands to guide her head back up and to him for a kiss. Their lips meet and Max feels her tongue breech his mouth instantly. He returns the kiss with fervor, savoring they way she pours her moans and whimpers into him.

“Max…” Sofia whines as she breaks from the kiss. Even in the dim light, the sight of her swollen lips and dazed expression leave him weak. She smiles weakly, her cheeks tinged pink and her eyes wet with tears. “Please…”

Max doesn’t have it in him to even tease her. He knows what she wants. He knows what he wants. With a swell of affection that he can easily attach a name to and can’t possibly mistake for anything else – he clasps her face between his hands and answer her with a firm kiss.

Sofia returns the kiss slowly, movements unsure at first but she slowly relaxes into the loving exchange. The kiss ends quickly, and Max smiles at her, keeping his hands on her face. He strokes the soft skin of her cheekbones with his thumbs. “You don’t need to ask.”

Sofia smiles back and the sight does him in. She pulls herself away and down to sit on his thighs and soon, her hands push his shirt up feverishly. With a chuckle, Max assists her and pulls his shirt over his head. Sofia licks her lips and descends upon him again, her (now warm) hands exploring his chest. Sofia leans over him, and soon her lips follow her hands. Max groans at the sensation of her tongue and teeth creating a wet trail across his sternum to his pectoral.

The pressure of arousal reaches a fever pitch as Sofia runs the flat of her tongue across one of his nipples. Max gasps and flexes a hand into the blankets below them. Sofia continues her descent down his stomach. Max is dizzy with pleasure, the whisper of her curls against his skin and the teasing presence of her torso rubbing against his still-clothed cock head enough to set him positively alight. Max finds himself nearly trembling as he wrangles every ounce of self-control he has to submit to her attentions.

Sofia continues her descent until her face is a hairs breadth away from his erect cock. Her eyes sparkle from the starlight as she smiles and nuzzles her face against him. Max tries to smile back, tries to maintain some cool composure, but he can’t. He grits his teeth and just watches. Sofia smiles coquettishly and a pink tongue pokes out from behind her full lips and traces a line up his cock.

“Sofia,” Max chokes out as he reaches out and cards his fingers through her impossibly soft hair. Sofia chuckles and hooks her fingertips into the waistband of his underwear. He lips his hips and she swiftly pulls them down, freeing his cock to the cool air. Max hisses at the contrast, but it doesn’t last long as Sofia wastes no time and slips the head of his cock into her mouth and sucks.

“Oh Law…” Max shudders as the sensation teeters on just overwhelming. Her hot tongue swirls around his head teasingly and he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The swollen head of his cock is released from her mouth with a pop and Sofia finally grasps him in her hand. With a firm grip she strokes him slowly, eyes locked on him.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” Sofia confesses, her lips brushing against the underside of his cock with every word. Max feels a sweat forming at his temple and a familiar tension winds and coils tightly in his gut. “Really should’ve done this sooner.” She mutters to mostly herself before taking him back in her mouth.

“Yeah, we should’ve…” Max pants his reply halfheartedly. He’s consumed by thoughts of her sucking him off in his former church on Edgewater, under the waterfall in Fallbrook, in the backroom of that damn bar in fucking Byzantium. Sofia’s head bobs up and down, her hair pulled from obscuring his view by his large hand on the back of her head. It’s just like the fantasies he’s entertained for months now – _better_ than the fantasies. Her mouth is tight, wet heat he hasn’t experienced in a long time and he’s finding it difficult to control himself.

Sofia’s lips make an awfully beautiful sight before him – stretched around him and red. She hums as she takes him rhythmically, her hand twisting around the remaining length of him as she ascends and descends. The tight heat in his gut coils even tighter but he knows – knows – he can hold off just a little more.

Sofia pulls off of him, enticingly drunk on what he presumes is lust. Their eyes lock and Max holds his breath. Sofia doesn’t smile and wraps her lips around his tip, sliding her lips down as far as she can go. Her nose brushes against the dark, wiry hair between his legs. Max gasps and can’t help the way his hips buck up and his hand tightens in her hair. Sofia moans around him and holds herself there. Max’s face feels as if it’s on fire, and his balls draw up as the coil tenses dangerously.

“Sofia… I…” Max struggles to find the words he wants to convey as his brain is incapacitated. The way his cock keeps bumping against the back of her throat. The way she’s keeping him prisoner with her eyes. The way her moans vibrate deliciously around him.

_Please don’t stop. You’re perfect. I love this. Your mouth is exquisite. Fuck. Fucking shit. _

She holds herself there for a little longer, eyes watering from the intrusion. He’s a slave to her, he decides as she cups his balls with her hand, rolling them as she holds him with her mouth. Max’s eyes begin to roll and he struggles for air as he tightens his hand in her hair and forces her off of him.

Sofia releases him with a gasp and a wet sound. Max feels a pang of guilt as he watches her struggle for air on her own. She giggles, a light feminine sound that shoots straight to his cock. He watches her, mouth agape as he fights to pull himself from the edge of what would’ve easily been the best orgasm of his life. His hand flexes in her hair and the giggle turns into a distinct moan.

“That was…” Max still struggles to find the words as he releases her hair and brings the hand down to swipe escaped saliva from her lower lip.

“Good?” Sofia teases and backs away from him – off of the bed.

“Too good.” Max complements her answer, watching her as she stands and stretches. His eyes can’t find one place to settle on as her lithe body moves in the darkened room.

“Hmm…” Sofia hums as she ends a laborious stretch and hooks her thumbs in the waist band of her panties and holds them there. She tilts her head, eyes seeking and grin impish. “Can’t have that now, can we?”

With little ceremony, she pulls them down and steps out of them. Max can see her glistening curls from his spot in her bed and whatever control he has snaps viciously. He sits up and grasps her waist with his hands, pulling her on top of his body once more. She tumbles forward, partially sitting on top of him.

Sofia laughs, but it’s cut short as he presses his face into her breasts and exhales shakily. He withdraws just enough to seek one of her nipples with his mouth and he teases it mercilessly. His eyes find her flushed, enraptured face. She’s watching him in awe – as if he’s granting her some wonderful blessing as he sucks greedily at her breast. His fingers skate down her smooth skin and delve into the curls between her legs. Sofia cries out, her hands flying up to grip at his hair frantically as he slides his fingertips at her entrance.

He lets his fingers delve into her soaking slit and they find her entrance quickly. Sofia is trembling, every breath a ragged mewl and moan. He’s careful – letting his middle finger delve ever so slightly into her before withdrawing and spreading her wetness along her entire slit. He groans at the feeling of her hands twisting in his hair and releases her breast, seeking the other one out immediately. He drags his fingertips to the top of her slit and presses them ever so slightly against her clit.

“Max!” Sofia cries out as he explores her with his hand. He teases the nub lightly before applying more pressure and circling his finger tips against it. Sofia nearly yelps and one hand leaves his hair to grasp the forearm of the hand that’s occupied between her legs. He pauses, release her breast and watches her reaction. Her face is flushed beautifully, and her face is pinched as if she’s in the midst of pain and pleasure.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sofia breathes shakily and laughs, the hand locked on his forearm stroking his skin lightly. “It’s just… a lot…”

“Do you want me to stop?” He asks and plants a kiss between her breasts.

“Fuck, no…” Sofia laughs again and cards her other hand through his hair – bringing her lips down to his. They kiss languidly as he keeps his fingers still against her. Max knows she’s sensitive. Law, if it doesn’t make this encounter that much more exciting for him. Yet he knows how easily raw pleasure can morph into pain.

He keeps his face tucked against her soft breasts and his eyes locked on to her face as he risks moving his fingers against her again. Soft, slow movements that he controls carefully. Sofia swallows and breathes out a soft yes. Her lashes contrast beautifully against her skin as her eyes drift shut. Max’s heart races as he watches her enraptured expression.

“You are so beautiful.” Max mutters against her skin. His words are soft, but Sofia hears them. Her eyes snap open and she smiles. “You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Smooth talker.” Sofia shudders as he slips his middle finger inside of her fully.

Max hisses in anticipation as her cunt tightens around his finger significantly. He moves it in and out of her, enjoying the way the noises from between her legs and her mouth overlap. “You’re so wet and tight, sweetheart. I can’t wait to fuck you.”

Sofia trembles as he speaks and she sinks down further into him, pressing her breasts against his chest and her face into his neck as his hand works between her legs. His cock throbs impatiently against her thigh – pre-cum smearing onto her skin with every passing movement. She mewls as he switches between playing with her clit and sliding one, two fingers into her heat. With an air of determination, he slips two fingers into her, pumping them in and out of her as his thumb works her clit.

Sofia gasps at the sensations and her hips buck against his hand. “Oh… Oh fuck…”

“Feel good?” Max teases against her ear, tugging the lobe between his teeth. Sofia clenches around his fingers rhythmically and she shakes in his arms.

“Yes.” She answers simply into his neck, voice wrecked.

Max releases her earlobe and presses his cheek fully to hers, growling his next words as his cock weeps against the soft skin of her thigh. “Are you going to come for me?”

Sofia doesn’t reply, just holds her breath for a few moments before the first wave of her release crashes over her violently. She lifts her head and presses her mouth against his. He swallows her frantic, desperate moans and pleas gladly. Her cunt clenches around his fingers tighter than before and she grinds her hips into his hand. Max can’t help but chuckle as she pulls away from their kiss with another ‘oh fuck’ falling from her lips.

He watches her face with a smile, and he works her through her release. “That’s it, Sofia.”

Sofia in the midst of an orgasm is chaotic and beautiful. Incomparably so. Her head tilts back just before she desperately seeks his lips again. Her body bucks and grinds and throbs. He holds her through it – his body her anchor through the experience. Max withdraws his fingers as her release tapers off and brings his fingers to his mouth. Sofia comes back to him – her eyes opening and focusing on him licking his finger salaciously.

Max swallows the last of her wetness, her flavor sitting favorably on the back of his tongue as he’s pondering to ask her if she wants to continue. He doesn’t even get the chance to ask.

“Fuck me.” Sofia’s request is hoarse and surprisingly demanding.

Max’s eyebrows shoot up and he can’t help his smirk. “As my Captain demands.”

Max grabs her and rolls her under him. Her face is bright and red, sweat beading at her temples with her recent release. Her hair sprawls around her head in a halo on her pillow. Max bites back a moan as she spreads her legs – revealing her swollen, wet slit to him. He strokes himself a couple of times before lowering himself onto her. He kisses her gently, pressing the tip of his cock to her soaked cunt.

He’s overcome with affection as he feels her arms wrap around his neck, bringing their bodies close together. He pulls away from the kiss, letting his cock sit comfortably against her slit as he sits up just a bit to assess her. “Do you know how important you are to me?”

His question breaks the spell of indecipherable lust and her expression softens. She blinks once, twice, before a bashful smile spreads on her face.

“Do you know how important you are to me?” Sofia quips back playfully.

It’s cute and sweet. But he wants – no _needs _her to understand his feelings for her. His heart races as he wrestles with what he wants to tell her. Yet he presses himself forward, his cock breaching her slid and sliding into her with no resistance. Sofia’s smile dissipates, her eyes flutter shut and her jaw slacks so her lips form a cute o.

“Oh, Max! Yes!”

Max would relish the sounds of unadulterated lust he’s drawing from her but he can’t. His world retracts into a tiny pinpoint as he’s completely consumed with how tight she is. The wet heat of her cunt is too much and he pauses once he’s hilted in her – catching the breath he’s suddenly lost as he wards off his orgasm.

He shakes the haze of lust and peers down at her, searching for any sign of pain or discomfort. At the same time, she lifts her head to find him. Their lips lock and the kiss is so sloppy that Max might’ve felt a bit embarrassed if he wasn’t actually experience paradise.

He gathers his wits and withdraws almost completely before pressing back into her. They moan in unison and Max begins to set a rhythm. The sounds of their union fill the otherwise silent quarters – the breathy moans and slaps of flesh on flesh. Max sits up and yanks her hips into his lap, his pace increasing significantly. Sofia cries out sharply and fists her hands into the blankets – her eyes locked on him.

He feels his chest tighten as the coil in his gut nearly unravels.

“I – I care for you so much, Sofia.” Max bites out between clenched teeth. His pace becomes not only faster but harder. Sofia swallows and tries to smile, but his cock ramming into her has seemed to have left her speechless and her eyes just roll back before shutting again. Max would feel pride if he wasn’t so outrageously enamored by the woman beneath him.

Max leans forward, bracing himself above her with one hand next to her head as he ruts mercilessly into her. Sofia’s moans and gasps increase and at this point every movement he makes spurs on some sort of noise from her. Max brings his other hand between her legs. He teases her clit lightly as his cock spears her. The effect is immediate and Sofia arches off the bed – gasping loudly as she nears another release.

“Come for me, Sofia.” Max grunts above her, his mussed hair falling into his eyes. “Come on my cock, sweetheart.”

Sofia’s eyes snap open and her hands release the blankets and find his chest – where she rakes her nails against his skin and through his chest hair. “Max?”

“Yeah?” Max smiles a bit, teasing her as his gut clenches as a forewarning of his release.

“I – I love you.” Sofia mewls as he presses her clit hard, swirling his thumb against the nub. Her confession shocks him but he doesn’t have the power to register it. Her release is marked by her back arching, her shuddering moan that seems to go on for eternity, and the delicious way her cunt clenches him.

Max gasps as he watches her release, finally allowing himself to follow as her womanhood milks his cock. He presses himself as deep as he can. His cock twitches as his cum shoots into her. He hisses and his vision white out into pure heat. He vaguely registers wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her tight to him.

“I love you.” He slurs into her neck, still pushing his release into her. His own confession is drawn from his lips as if it’s the most natural thing he’s ever done.

Max shakes as his orgasm tapers off into a fuzzy sort of clarity. He presses his face into her neck and collarbone – showering her with kisses wherever his mouth can reach. Sofia wraps her legs around his hips and kisses the top of his head, her fingers playing with his sweaty hair. He doesn’t know how long it is before he pulls his softened cock from her, but the sweat on his body has dried and she’s left blinking sleepily.

They clean up in comforting silence. Soft smiles and gentle touches guide them both back into bed.

“I meant it.” Sofia whispers as she snuggles up to Max’s back, placing a kiss on his shoulder blade.

Max smiles at the stars, grasping her hand that’s pressed up against his stomach under his shirt.

“I did too.”


End file.
